UNDERSTANDING THE DEATH OF A CHRISTIAN “….absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.” (2 Cor. 5:8b) Many of us have lost family members or close friends as their days on earth have ended. During periods of sorrow Christians not only have their hearts broken, but may also have their faith tested as well. There are a few things I want Christians to understand about the death of Christian friends and family members. They are no longer suffering and are not in pain, therefore we must understand that are better off. In the instant of death, they have departed from this earth and ARRIVED in Heaven to be with the Lord and others who have gone ahead. We, as Christians, will see and know them again. God the Father lost His Son to death, but only for a short time. Mary lost her son, Jesus, at age 33. Others lose loved ones; therefore we should never feel like we are the only one ever to face such heartache. Our loved ones are not coming back from the grave. We must not lose hope at the graveside, for one day Jesus is coming to rapture us from this earth and so shall we ever be with the Lord and our loved ones in heaven. We should grieve; this is Gods way of helping us vent our sorrow by shedding our tears. Tears have a way of washing our hearts clean from hurt. Grief, however should not consume us long-term resulting in a withdrawal from the plan of God for our lives. Be assured that The Good Shepherd is ever present with us at all times; therefore we should talk with Him and tell Him of our troubled heart. The Holy Spirit dwells within as our persona Comforter. Death for the Christian should never be viewed as the “end of the road”, but simply a “bend in the road’. I pray that these few thoughts gathered from many years of ministry will help someone. I am praying for you as you go THROUGH the VALLEY of the SHADOW of Death”. I encourage you to read Psalm 23.
Posted on: Fri, 22 Aug 2014 05:03:08 +0000